I'll Be Home for Christmas
by scubysnak
Summary: Sara returns to surprise Grissom for Christmas. Was written for the CSI Projects 2007 Secret Santa


**Disclaimers:** I don't own 'em

**A/N: **I participated in the Secret Santa thing on CSI Projects this year. I'm not a GSR fan, but that's what I was asked to write. Take pity on me. Writing about Sara with anyone other than Cath or Sofia just seems...wrong.

_I'll be home for Christmas_

_You can count on me_

_Please have snow and mistletoe_

_And presents on the tree._

A knock at the door disrupted Greg's trimming of the tree. "Coming," he shouted to his unknown guest. The knocking continued and turned into pounding, "I said I was coming. Keep your panties on."

He jerked the door open violently and found himself face to face with the former object of his lusting. At once, the venomous words he was ready to spew at whoever was beating on his door at nine in the morning dissipated.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to invite me in?" She said with a gap-toothed grin.

Words failed him as he threw himself at her and engulfed her in a giant hug. "Whoa there tiger! You're gonna crack a rib or dislocate something," she said as she returned his embrace.

He broke the contact and stepped back, motioning for her to come in, "Come on in. Wow, I can't believe you're here. Not that I mind, but why are you here?"

"Come on, Greg. Did you really think I'd stay away forever? Besides, I missed you guys," a sad look painted her face.

"Any of us in particular?"

She smiled forlornly and sank down in the nearest chair. "Well, there's you and Nick. Speaking of which, where is the big guy?"

Greg moved to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. "He's at work. Since he made shift supervisor, all he ever does is work. We're even on opposite schedules now. Two ships passing in the night," he said as he twirled back into the living room.

"Sorry to hear that," Sara offered. "I guess leaving the way I did made for a lot of changes, didn't it?"

"You don't know the half of it. But let's not talk about work. Let's talk about you. Why the hell didn't you bother calling? You disappeared without a word. You didn't tell any of us where you were going—not so much as a goodbye. I think I warranted more than that."

"You did. And I want to talk about it…I do…Just not right now," she answered quietly.

He had avoided the topic long enough and decided that now was as good a time as any to broach the topic. "You know, Grissom misses you. He's…not the same."

She hung her head, unable to meet his eyes. "That's why I'm back. I need to see him. I have to make things right."

"And just how do you plan on doing that? You think you can just roll back into town and he'll welcome you back with open arms?" Greg stood up and walked back into the kitchen. As he came back with two cups of coffee, he handed one to Sara as he sat down across from her. "Seriously, Sara, you didn't have to watch what he went through when you were missing. And then, just when he gets you back and you two go public, you up and disappear on him. If Nick pulled that shit with me his ass would so be groveling for months before I'd even entertain the thought of letting him back in my bed."

"Look, Gil knew why I was leaving. He knew where I was. We've talked while I've been away. He wasn't in the dark," she finally admitted.

"Why now? Why come back now?"

"I have a plan," she smiled as she pulled a small jewelry box out of her pocket and handed it to him. "I need your help with a few things."

Greg only smiled as he slid the box back to her, "Girlfriend, we are going to have so much fun. Let's get started."

_Christmas Eve will find me_

_Where the lovelight gleams_

_I'll be home for Christmas_

_If only in my dreams._

For the last six weeks, all Gil Grissom had done was work and spend every spare moment in his office. He even went so far as to help Hodges with his CSI game. Any and every reason he could find not to go back to his home was welcome.

The fact that it was now Christmas morning wasn't totally lost on him. Had he not basically worked for three days straight, he'd still be in his office or in the field. The last place he wanted to be was alone in his home.

_Sara._ Even though he hadn't seen her for weeks, she completely occupied his thoughts. They had spoken once a week since her hasty departure, but even that was painful. In the weeks that immediately preceded her exodus, he had not only admitted his feelings publicly for her, he had also proposed marriage.

He was certain that Sara would say yes. She had previously stated her aversion to marriage, but she had not completely dismissed the idea when he brought it up. That had to count for something.

And then she left. He knew that things had been difficult since they had found her in the desert, in fact, very difficult. He had blamed himself every day since she had left. All he had done when she was hurting was tell her that things would get better and not to take things too personally.

He had failed her. He had no one but himself to blame for Sara leaving town. He alone would have to live with the knowledge that had he done more or made more of an effort, she might have stayed. He knew the demons that she fought in her mind. He knew the history that she struggled to overcome. He was the one person that she had trusted her heart to and he had failed to protect it.

_I'll be home for Christmas_

_You can count on me_

_Please have snow and mistletoe_

_And presents on the tree._

She was impatiently waiting for Gil to get home. Greg had spent the better part of the night helping her get everything ready. They were certain that Gil was at work so there was little chance of him coming home and discovering them.

There was a magnificent tree trimmed in white lights and shiny silver decorations. Despite the warm temperature, a small fire was crackling in the fireplace. The soft sounds of music were wafting through the air.

Waiting by the fire, she heard the sound of Gil approaching the door with his keys jangling in his hand as he fumbled with the locks on the door. She stood up and smoothed her clothes anticipating him walking in the door.

He was, as usual, preoccupied with whatever was in his hands as he entered the house. He dropped his briefcase by the door and started down the hall with his mail in his hand. The padding of his feet against the hardwood floors suddenly stopped and then started again as he appeared at the end of the hallway again.

He stood there and stared at her for a brief moment in stunned silence. She smiled weakly at him.

"Sara?" he asked, almost as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

She walked toward him a few steps and then stopped, "I, uh, hope you don't mind that I used my key."

"Mind? No, not at all," he said as he took a step toward her.

"I would have called, but I wanted to surprise you."

A smile graced his face as he took another step towards her, "I'm surprised. Definitely surprised."

She took two steps toward him, "I decorated."

"I see that," he said as he moved closer still. "It looks very…festive. Did you do this all by yourself?"

She smiled and took another step in his direction, "I had a little help from Greg."

"He certainly has good taste. You never would have picked out half of the things around here," he said as he finally closed the distance between them and pulled her to him.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered against his cheek.

"I've missed you, too," he said in a hushed tone as he peppered her neck with kisses. He started walking her backwards until her back made contact with a wall.

She placed her hands on either side of his face and brought their lips crashing together. One of his hands found purchase on the back of her neck while the other grabbed her by the waist and pulled her flush against him as he pushed her further against the wall.

Her hands left his face and travelled down the front of his shirt, making quick work of every button in their path before blindly undoing his belt. He tried to pull away from the kiss but her hands ventured back to his neck and held his lips against her own.

Sensing that she was unwilling to break the kiss, he trailed his hands over her breasts and ripped her shirt from her pants before sliding his hands over the soft skin of her abdomen. Higher and higher they moved until he cupped her breasts. As he took her nipples between his fingers, she finally broke the kiss.

She leaned her forehead against his and breathlessly whispered, "Bedroom. Now."

He smiled and ran his hands down her back and over her ass, lifting her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. She leaned down and placed her mouth on his neck and began sucking and nibbling at the flesh as he stumbled on the way to the bedroom.

He gently laid her down on the bed and took his clothes off before slowly undressing her. He started at her feet and kissed his way up her leg, over her hip and stomach. He let his weight rest on her as she spread her legs for him to relax between them.

His hands moved up over her stomach and up to her breasts. He traced around her nipples with his fingers, inching closer and closer to the more sensitive flesh. He took his left hand and interlaced their fingers together before dipping his head and tracing her nipple with tongue. Once it was wet, he blew over it, her nipple instantly hardened. She arched up against him. He began to gently suck on her nipple as he twisted and rolled the other between his fingertips.

She began to move against him, feeling his hardening member slide against her wetness. He bit down on her nipple which forced her to arch against him again. She spread her legs even more, giving him unfettered access to where she so desperately wanted him.

"Gil," she said in a hushed tone. "Please…I need to feel you."

_Christmas Eve will find me_

_Where the lovelight gleams_

_I'll be home for Christmas_

_If only in my dreams._

The hours ticked by quickly as they made love. Early morning turned to afternoon. In the now darkened room that smelled thickly of their sweat and sex, Sara turned over and watched Gil as he slept.

She had heard the tiredness in his voice on those occasions when they spoke. Greg had told her only yesterday how weary and overworked he had become since her departure. Her absence had taken a real toll on him. She hadn't realized when she had decided to leave for her own sake that she would leave him feeling as lonely in her absence as she had felt in his presence since her rescue.

As she lay there watching him sleep, she couldn't help but wonder if what she had planned on doing was the right thing or not. She had planned on staying. She had planned on agreeing to marry him. She had planned on spending the rest of her life with him. And now, in this moment, the only thing she was sure of was how unsure she was.

She moved closer to him and draped a leg over him. Everything was better after a little sleep. Things would be clearer once she had slept. It was Christmas and she knew she was home, where part of her belonged, and where she would always be, if only in her dreams.

**P.S. **I really am sorry, Immi. I know how you feel about GSR (it burns!).


End file.
